Foothill softball roundup: Saugus, West Ranch stay tied for first

Saugus waited until the end to remove the drama from Tuesday’s Foothill League showdown with Canyon at Canyon High School, but when they made their move, they did it in a big way.

Tied in the top of the seventh, Esther Ferreira stole home on a wild pitch and Kaela Morrow hit a two-run home run to spark a four-run inning and eventual 6-2 win.

Canyon (12-13 overall, 2-7 Foothill League) took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Paige Johnson reached on an error, allowing Kaelie and Amanda Doyle to come home off Saugus pitcher Mariah Lopez.

Lopez earned the win for Saugus (19-9, 8-1), her eighth in Foothill League play, going seven innings and allowing four hits while striking out 15.

“It was a close game against Canyon, but I had confidence that my team was going to dig deep and find a way to win,” said Saugus head coach Julie Watson-Archer. “Canyon played a great game and I’m proud of my team for not giving up when they were down. Mariah pitched another great game for us.”

Morrow was 1-for-4 with two RBIs on the home run, and Cassidy FitzGerald was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

The win keeps Saugus in a first-place tie with West Ranch with one game to play.

For Canyon, Amanda Doyle was 2-for-3 with a run scored.

The Centurions will take on fifth-place Golden Valley, where a win would lock up at least a share of the league championship.

Canyon ends the year at home against Hart.

Valencia 15, Hart 12

For the third straight game the Vikings scored double digit runs, this time holding off a late Hart rally to pick up their sixth Foothill League victory of the season.

The Vikings opened things up early, scoring one in the first and five in the third for a 6-1 lead. That lead extended to 9-2 in the fifth on RBIs from Lauren Dolan, Kyra Naftel and Erin Andris.

The Indians stormed back in the bottom half of the fifth, though, scoring six to pull within 9-8, highlighted by a three-run home run from Sierra Boyaijian and a two-run home run by Sienna Vannoy.

But Hart couldn’t keep the Vikings off the board, as a six-run sixth stretched the lead to 15-9, before Hart posted three in the final frame.

For Valencia, Dominique Salgado led the way going 2-for-3 with five RBIs, two walks and two runs scored. Lauren Dolan was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.

Sydney Troxell was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Kylie Norwood was 3-for-3.

The Vikings improved to 14-14 on the season and 6-3 in league play and will close out the regular season on Thursday at home against West Ranch. The Indians (8-19, 1-8) close out the year at Canyon.

West Ranch 17, Golden Valley 4

The Wildcats hit four home runs in the win on Tuesday at the Hart Softball Complex, leaving West Ranch tied for first with Saugus in Foothill League play with one game to go.

Jessica Harper went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a homer for the Wildcats.

For Golden Valley (2-7), Miranda Escalera had two home runs and three RBIs.

The Grizzlies stayed close with the two-time defending champs for most of the game, pulling within 6-4 in the fifth inning before West Ranch pulled away late.

Lauren Lindvall also had a home run for the Wildcats, going 3-for-5 on the day.

West Ranch will close out the season Thursday against Valencia as it seeks a share of its third straight league crown.